Semanya Saga: Secret report reveals Chuene's plotting

In a bombshell report the doctor of the South African athletics team, Harold Adams, has accused Athletics South Africa (ASA) boss Leonard Chuene of deliberately politicising and sowing confusion in the Caster Semenya gender test saga.

Adamss confidential report, leaked to the Mail & Guardian, suggests that Chuene consulted top-level politicians before deciding, against Adamss advice, to field Semenya in the World Athletics Championship in Berlin in August.

The M&G understands that one of these politicians was the controversial ANC head of Parliaments sports committee, Butana Komphela.

In the report Adams asks: Did Chuene consult with the high-powered politicians to merely get an endorsement and political backing for his pre-conceived plan of getting a medal at all costs?

He says Chuene told a medical team of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) that withdrawing Semenya was not acceptable to top-level South African politicians who are also in government and that if the IAAF insisted on Semenyas withdrawal they would face the wrath of the South African government, because it would not hesitate to take the IAAF to the highest court in the land.

Adams accuses Chuene of an orgy of lies and selfish interest to cover his back at the expense of Semenyas welfare. He describes his decision to let Semenya race in Berlin as reckless, short-sighted and grossly &shy;irresponsible.

Chuene did not reply to the M&Gs questions this week and Komphela was unavailable.

In Parliament this week Chuene blamed the IAAF and the media for Semenyas woes, saying he had only acted to protect the athlete.

Adamss report indicates that Chuene lied to Parliament by saying that the IAAF had suggested Semenya should fake an injury and withdraw from the race, which he considered unethical.

The report was sent to the ANC and South Africas Olympic governing body, Sascoc.

It has come to light in the week that IAAF president Lamine Diack was due to have visited South Africa to discuss Semenyas gender test with her and the government. But Diack announced on Thursday that he had cancelled the trip.